


Until Death Do Us Part

by EideticPrettyBoySpence



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:27:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25818823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EideticPrettyBoySpence/pseuds/EideticPrettyBoySpence
Summary: This story comes from 9x23-24Just pretend the dresses came from Kleinfeld and not David's Bridal I didn't like any of those dresses. Yes we're getting married in October. I love Halloween, Spencer loves Halloween. Why wouldn't we get married on Halloween? Yes our vows are mostly Dr Who quotes mind your business- we're Whovians.
Relationships: Spencer Reid/Original Female Character(s)





	Until Death Do Us Part

"Alright I'm leaving Spencer! I'll be home tonight. I love you," I kiss my fiance's cheek.

"I love you too, little girl. Remember, there's no budget. Rossi said he'd pay for your dress."

"I know babe, I remember. I couldn't talk him out of it, he said he missed the opportunity with his own daughter. But this way I can use all of the money that my parents saved on the wedding itself. I've got to run, I'll be late otherwise."

When I walk into the sunshine of the DC summer day, I slip behind the wheel of Spencer's Prius. Then I drive by Penelope's house where all my BAU bridesmaids plus my sister are waiting. Then we drive to Washington Union Station for our train ride to Kleinfeld's in New York. Rossi meets us there and we board our train a few minutes later for our nearly four hour ride. When we get to Grand Central we have to board another train to take us to the station closest to the bridal salon. As we climb the steps to the street I see the sign I've only ever seen on tv. I've been dreaming of this moment since I was fifteen years old. Little did I know that Randy was Rossi's cousin, and he agreed to personally help me pick a dress. When we enter the salon the receptionist tells us to have a seat and he'd be with us shortly. 

"Someone pinch me I must be dreaming. I can't believe I'm actually at Kleinfelds right now. Dave, I can't thank you enough."

"Nonsense, principessa, it's my pleasure. Like I told you before, I missed out on doing this with Joy and Portia."

"Hi, welcome to Klienfeld. Who's my bride?" I hear Randy Fenoli's voice.

"I am, Randy. I'm Nyssa. It's so surreal to meet you," I stand to hug him.

"Welcome, Nyssa, congratulations. And who have you brought with you? Besides my cousin."

"I've got my sister, Peyton, and my best friends, Penelope, Emily, and JJ."

"Welcome, ladies, if you'll follow me this way," Randy says.

He leads us onto the bridal floor and I gasp, turning around slowly to take it all in. It's even more impressive in person than it is just seeing it on television. As I sit on the couch Randy takes us to, I cover my mouth with my hands. Randy notices and laughs with a smile.

"Don't start crying yet, you haven't even tried on a dress yet!"

"I know I'm a complete mess sometimes. It's just that I've been watching Say Yes to the Dress for so long. But being here in person, meeting you after dreaming about picking out my dress here for so long, it's a completely surreal feeling. I could never afford most of this stuff on my own, if Dave hadn't offered to pay for my dress. I've just got to take it all in for a minute so I make sure I'm not dreaming."

"You're definitely not dreaming," Randy laughs. "So how do you want to look on your wedding day?"

"I want to look stunning, ethereal, and sexy. If Spencer doesn't cry seeing me walk down the aisle, I'm turning back around. Because I've done something very wrong," I tease with a twinkle in my eye and a small laugh.

"And what's the budget I should keep in mind?"

"There is no budget," Dave says. "Not for my principessa."

"Wait she isn't another daughter you didn't know you had is she Dave?"

"No, she's not, but she's like a daughter to me. All these girls are like daughters to me. Besides, I missed out on buying Joy and Portia's wedding dresses, and I can afford it. So whatever dress Nyssa wants is the dress she'll get."

"Alright, well, then, if you'll follow me. We'll go back to a dressing room and you can tell me more," I follow Randy back to a dressing room and sit in one of the chairs. He sits down in another and smiles at me again. "All right, now tell me a little about the groom."

"His name is Spencer, Dr Spencer Reid. We met at work, actually. He is the kindest, sweetest, bravest, most selfless man I've ever met. And he's literally a genius, his IQ is 187. That's higher than Einstein, Edison and Tesla."

"A doctor, wow, that's impressive. You can't be older than twenty-five."

"I'm twenty-one, but he's thirty-two. He got his first doctorate at twenty. He has three," I state proudly. "He has doctorates in mathematics, chemistry and engineering. And bachelors in psychology and sociology. He's working on his bachelors in philosophy."

"You sound proud of him, I can tell how much you love him. Your eyes lit up as soon as I asked you about him."

"I am proud of him, yeah, and in awe of him every day. I love learning but I could never go to school for as long as he has."

"Tell me more about how you two met."

"Well, I took a seminar him and Dave taught, seven years ago now. But we didn't officially meet until after I graduated the Academy and I was hired at the BAU. Normally you have to work at the Bureau for a year before you can even apply. But Hotch, our boss, was impressed with my perfect score on my firearm certification. So I guess indirectly I can thank my grandma for us meeting. I wouldn't have gotten a perfect score if she hadn't taught me to use a rifle and a pistol when I was eight."

"How did he propose?"

"He actually proposed on the day JJ got married. But he asked her and her husband if it was okay first."

I show off my ring excitedly and Randy gushes over it. Then he asks me more about what type of dress I'm looking for.

"I want a mermaid dress, with tons of rhinestones on it. I want the light to catch my dress every time I move. I want a mermaid silhouette, definitely not a natural waist since I'm so short, with a sweetheart neckline."

"Alright I'm going to go pull some dresses and I'll be right back. Why don't you get undressed and change into that robe."

I'm not alone for very long before Randy comes back holding a stack of dresses. As he's hanging them up I recognize almost all of them from watching SYTTD. But one of them in particular catches my eye and I gasp softly seeing it in person.

"Astrid," I whisper.

"Wow you weren't kidding when you said you watch religiously. Yeah, that's her, my Astrid dress."

"I think I might have found my wedding dress. But I should try on a few of the others at least since I'm here. When in Rome, right?"

"I'm flattered you love my dress that much to say it might be your dress before even trying it on. Which one do you think to start with though? You can try on as many dresses as you want, we've got a whole hour or more if you need it."

"I think I'll try... that one," I point.

"This is a Pnina Tornai. But I'm sure you already knew that. Mermaid silhouette with tulle skirt and arm cuffs. It's twelve thousand five hundred before alterations," Randy says as he helps me step in and clips me in so I can see what it'll look like with alterations.

"Twelve and a half thousand dollars?! That's more than our apartment is worth!! But it's a gorgeous dress though. I mean, of course it's gorgeous, it's a Pnina. Before you started making dresses, all I ever wanted was to get married in a Pnina."

"So what do you think, you want to show them this one? Or do you not want to bother, should we just move on?"

"No, I think I want to show them."

When we walk out of the dressing room I step up on the pedestal and turn around. Penelope is already crying which makes me want to cry too, so I just laugh a little bit. Everyone expresses how beautiful they think I look, and then Randy looks at Rossi.

"So what do you think, Dave? Do you want to know how much it is?"

"Like I said, price doesn't matter to me. As long as Nyssa's happy."

"It's a gorgeous dress, that's obvious, but I don't think it's for me. I might already have chosen a dress but I'm saving it for last."

"Alright, should we move on then? Try on the next one?"

I try on a floral lace off the shoulder Pnina that I don't decide to show. The sequin one with a ruffled skirt I do show them, but ultimately decide I would fall on my face trying to walk in it. My mom would kill me if I wanted the strapless satin sequin sweetheart neckline one with a see-through bodice. The v-neck sequined one is cut too low and makes me feel fat so that's out. Finally there's just one last dress.

"Wow, Randy, it's even more beautiful than I thought," I start to tear up. "This is it, this is the one, definitely."

I go out to show my entourage the dress, blotting my tears with a tissue Randy hands me. Even Emily and JJ are crying looking at me in this dress. Of course, Penelope cried seeing me in every dress, bless her heart. All three start talking at once until Randy quiets them.

"Dave, what do you think? This is my Astrid dress, it's got an illusion neckline, and blush embroidery."

Instead of answering, Rossi stands and walks over to me. He wraps me in a hug and whispers in my ear softly.

"You look like an angel, my dear Nyssa. You're happy, I can tell you are. This is it, this is the dress, isn't it?"

"Yeah, this is it. I saw this dress on tv a few months ago. I never thought I'd be here trying it on. How much is it, Randy?"

"It goes for twenty-eight hundred. Should we try on a veil, get the full picture?"

"Yeah that sound amazing. Thank you, Randy."

Randy leaves and comes back about ten minutes or so later. He has a gorgeous tiara that probably costs more than the dress, and a blush colored veil draped over one arm. I gasp softly and cover my mouth with one hand as Randy laughs. I bend down so he can put it on, then he pulls my hair into a bun and slips the veil into it. Then I turn to look at myself in the mirror and I can't believe how good I look.

"So, Nyssa, I guess that just leaves one question. Are you saying yes to the dress?"

"Yes, definitely, yes. I'm saying yes to the dress."

Just then everyone's phones go off and I sigh softly, taking one last look at myself before stepping down. I hug Randy tightly and gush over the dress for a moment before Rossi clears his throat. I laugh and look over at my entourage with an apologetic look.

"Sorry, kiddo, we've got a case," Rossi says.

"Yeah, I figured that would happen. Oh well, at least I chose a dress."

After Randy helps me out of the dress I get dressed. He asks me questions to fill out the paperwork as I do that. We schedule a fitting for a few months' time, and then I hurry back out to the lobby after one last hug. Everyone is already waiting for me, and we take the trains back to DC. We drive to the BAU and walk into the bullpen where the team is sitting. I smile widely at my fiance as I walk over to him. He meets me halfway and pulls me into his arms for a kiss. I smile against his lips as I kiss him back, sinking my fingers in his hair.

"Hey, little girl, did you find a dress?"

"Yeah, I found a dress. Scheduled my first fitting in July."

"I'm glad you had time to find a dress. I can't wait to see it on you in October."

"So, we get Henry to bed, and, you know, we're about to finally have some alone time with mommy and daddy, and... you guys know the rest," JJ is telling a story we've all heard and experienced many times before. 

"Ah, trying to dust off the old cobwebs," Derek says, and Penelope smacks him.

"Inappropriate."

"What?"

"Seriously, though, how long has it been?"

"Too long," JJ and I say as I look as Spencer.

"Do we know what the case is?" Alex asks.

"Not yet," Rossi replies. "Hotch just said to drop everything and get back here."

"You, you need some private adult time. I'll watch Henry. No bad guys, no kids, in that order. Go to Mexico. Or the Maldives maybe."

"Cruz?" JJ says.

"Yes! Exactly, a cruise would be perfect," Penelope says.

"No, no, no. Matt Cruz."

"Let's get started."

"Thanks for taking this case, Aaron," Matt says. "You guys are on quite a streak."

"It had been so long since I'd heard from you. I wasn't sure if you were getting my reports."

"I was putting out other fires in the Bureau. Domestic terrorism needs my full attention," Matt replies as we walk to the round table room. "But when it comes to you guys, why mess with success?"

"How are those ribs?" Matt asks JJ.

"It still hurts when I laugh. You?"

"The scars impress the ladies. I hope you don't mind, Miss Garcia, but I took the liberty of having the much less talented version of you in my office load the case details."

"Oh. Yeah," Penelope says. "Sure, no problem."

"A good friend of mine, Sheriff Peter Coleman, down in Briscoe County, Texas, reached out to me about a possible case. He's a former Texas Ranger. He's a good guy."

"He read about our work on the silencer case two years ago," Hotch says. "He asked for a consult."

"What do we have?" Alex asks.

"Abigail Jones. Prostitute. She was found in a dumpster last night," Matt answers. 

"What's that on her wrists?" Derek asks.

"It's uh... it's..." Matt struggles with the tv. "Uh, would you mind?"

"Thank you, Jesus, Buddha, and Allah," Penelope says. "I like to cover my bases. You have to squeeze it."

"Rope burns," Rossi says.

"Which goes hand in hand with lacerations on her back," Matt says.

"There's also a gunshot wound to the back of her head, execution style," JJ observes.

"It's a conflict in M.O. The cutting and restraints points to sexual sadism, but the gunshot wound ends the torture too quickly for a sadist," Spencer says as his hand finds mine under the table. I squeeze his hand gently.

"Is that the only victim?" Alex asks.

"There's Hannah Kelly, another prostitute, killed six months ago, dumped one jurisdiction over."

"Forensic countermeasure. Smart enough to separate the victims so we won't tie them together."

"And practical, too. The body was left in Hooker Row, where they pick up their Johns, which brings us to our first victim, Lucas Wagner. Killed eleven months ago. Multiple arrests for soliciting a prostitute. He was found outside a crack house where some of them lived."

"He takes a paying customer and drops them where the girls live," Derek says. "That sends a message that nobody's safe."

"Tell Sheriff Coleman we're on our way," Hotch says.

Once we're on the jet I sit on the couch next to Derek who drapes an arm casually over my shoulder. Spencer decides to stand for now, and the rest of the team are around the table. I lean against Derek and flip through the case file on my tablet as JJ speaks up.

"Ballistics matched one gun to all three shootings. So, the same unsub killed one John and two prostitutes."

"At least he keeps it in the family," Rossi says.

"Maybe the John was a friend of the unsub, someone he picked up prostitutes with," Alex says.

"Well, once he kills a friend, it makes it easier to kill the prostitutes," Derek points out.

"That would explain why there's no sexual assault on the victims," Spencer says. "It's not about rape for this unsub, it's about torture."

"I mean, that fits, kind of, but it just feels like we're missing something."

"What we're missing is whether this guy's a sadist or not," Rossi answers. "A gunshot to the back of the head throws everything off."

"We're presuming he's using the gun to end things, but it could be part of the psychological torture," Hotch points out.

"I'm gonna cut you, and if you flinch, bang," Spencer says.

"Okay, so let's go with that for a second. There were five cuts on Lucas Wagner, nine on Hannah, twelve on Abigail," JJ cuts in. "He's escalating his torture. Sadists definitely do that."

"And they get deeper with each victim," Alex adds.

"That's right. The first cuts were experimental in nature, and the later ones were about maximum infliction of pain," Spencer says.

"What if this is vigilantism? He's punishing these women and their Johns to clean up the streets," Rossi says.

"But why take so long to do it? Three victims in eleven months? That's a substantial cooling-off period," Derek points out.

"Morgan, you, Johnson and Reid talk to anyone working the streets last night and see if they saw something useful," Hotch instructs the team. "Dave and Blake, go to the coroner's office, see what you can learn there, and JJ and I will go to the station with the sheriff and start interviewing friends and family."

When we arrive at the station the sheriff sends a deputy with Derek, Spencer and me. He takes us to a bar called Joe's and we get out of the SUV to head inside. Spencer takes my hand to help me down from the car as the officer starts speaking.

"Not too many spots for working girls to go to, so this'll be your best shot."

"And you turn a blind eye to what goes on in here?" Spencer asks, holding back anger.

"Agent, we only got one bar around here. Monday night's karaoke, Tuesday's line dancing, and the girls are discreet. Can't hardly tell the professionals from the locals who just want to get their drink on. Not to mention, we shut this place down, then what?"

"The devil you know kinda thing," Derek says.

"Exactly."

"Deputy," a blond woman says as we enter.

"Dinah, these are agents from the FBI. You mind answering some questions?"

"Don't know much, but sure," Dinah answers.

"We're trying to find out more about a woman named Abigail Jones. Did you know her?" Spencer asks.

"Why are you all asking about Abby?" A man with a cut-off flannel asks.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Spencer asks him back.

"Last week. Same bat time, same bat station. She's all right, ain't she?"

"No. She was killed a couple of nights ago."

"Killed? God Almighty."

"How well did you know her?"

"Used to flirt. You know. She always said I couldn't hand her. She was right. So I'd buy her drinks. She liked when I buy her drinks."

"Was she that kind of girl?" Derek asks. "Party girl, maybe?"

"It was hard to tell when she was loaded or not. I mean, she was always off. Like she had her own song goin' on in her head." 

"Mack the Knife," a blonde girl at the end of the bar says.

"Let me ask you, did Abigail come in often?" Spencer asks. "Was she a regular customer?"

"What was that?" Derek and I go to talk to the girl.

"Mack the Knife."

"Was that the song in her head?" I ask.

"No. It was the name of her last... date. You know what I mean?"

"Yes, I do. Have you ever met this Mack the Knife?" 

"No. She told me about him, said he was a good tipper."

"Do you know where we could talk to him? Would you prefer to chat privately?"

"I can't."

"Okay. Why don't we just have a little chat, right here. You don't have to look at me. Don't move your head. Just keep looking down. Just doing my best to be charming, if you don't mind. Could you lean over and take this card from me? See? I'm not so bad. Come on, we're just talkin' it up, havin' some fun, right? Why don't you flash me that pretty little smile of yours. And then maybe slap me on the shoulder like maybe I'm trying to get fresh or something, huh? No? Yeah? Yeah." "Dirty boy. You wish." "All right, well, you can't blame a guy for trying. Nice to meet you." "One last question. Do either of these two people look familiar to you?" Spencer asks as I walk back over. "The boy looks familiar. The girl I never seen," Dinah says. "Well, thank you for your time. Would you mind if we came back a little later?" "Oh, anytime. Got nothin' to hide." "Thanks." "Sorry I couldn't help you none." After we leave the bar and call Hotch with the little information we got, he tells us to go to the hotel and get some sleep. But once we get there and go to the room we had checked into earlier, Spencer seemed to have other ideas. As soon as I started to shut the door, his lips were on mine, and he pushed me back against the door to close it the rest of the way. He fumbled for the lock as I worked his tie loose and started on the buttons of his shirt, pulling it out of his pants as I got closer to the bottom button. I dropped to my knees to work his belt loose, undo the button of his pants and pull down the zipper. I groaned softly at the sight of his cock already half hard. "You like what you see, don't you, little girl?" Spencer growled softly. "Yes, sir, I do," I answered. "You want to suck my cock, baby?" "Please." "Go ahead." I pull Spencer's underwear down and free his cock, wrapping my hand around the base. As I take it deeper and deeper into my mouth, I finally let go and put my hands behind my back. I look up at Spencer through my lashes and he has his head thrown back in pleasure. He takes my hair in his fist and uses it to hold my head as he starts to fuck my throat. Finally he pulls his cock free with a groan. "Spencer, I need you." "What's my name?" "Doctor Reid, fuck me. Please, I need you." "Get on the bed. Take off your clothes first." I strip down to my bra and underwear quickly and climb on the bed. Spencer had shed his clothes and stood there naked, holding his handcuffs in one hand. I groaned softly as his gaze raked over me possessively as he stalked toward me. I thanked my lucky stars that the hotel had metal bed frames in their rooms. Finally after an agonizing wait Spencer stood at the edge of the bed staring down at me. "Hands above your head, little girl," he said, and I quickly obeyed. He lifted my top half off of the mattress and unhooked my bra, tossing it behind him with no regard to where it landed. Then he handcuffed me to the headboard and I bit back a moan at the feeling of the cold metal around my wrists. Vanilla sex with Spencer was always great, but nothing compared to when he needed to take control. Usually after a hard case, but sometimes he did it randomly if the urge hit him. He knelt on the bed between my legs and made me lift my hips so he could pull my underwear off and toss them aside. Then his whiskey-colored gaze raked over my naked body, the possessive look in his eye almost making me cum without him touching me. "Sp- Doctor, please... I've been a good girl all day." "Have you, though? Did you think I wouldn't see you flirting with that cop? Do I have to remind you who you belong to?" "I wasn't-" My protest was cut off by a gasp of arousal as Spencer's large hand went around my throat. His pupils had dilated to the point there was only a small ring of iris around the edge of his eye. His tongue darted out to lick along his bottom lip, and if his hand wasn't around my throat I would have groaned. He knew exactly what he was doing to me- I could tell by the look of triumph in his eyes. "Don't try to deny it, little girl. You were flirting. Were you imagining his cock destroying that pretty little cunt?" "No, Doctor, I would never. I was just trying to make you jealous." "Well, mission accomplished. Now I have to show you how good I can fuck you. You won't be able to move tomorrow without remembering the way my cock felt in that pussy. I wonder how well you can hide your discomfort from the rest of the team. Or from that officer you were flirting with. You won't be able to look at him without thinking about me. About how much better than him I am." Spencer's speech was staccatoed by him kissing, nipping and sucking bruises on my skin. He made sure to leave one hickey where I couldn't hide it underneath my shirt. Then he took my left foot and licked a stripe up the sole before kissing his way from my ankle to my thigh, stopping just short of where I needed him the most. He repeated the process with my right foot before finally leaning down to where I could feel his breath on my core. My muscles in my stomach quivered and Spencer chuckled softly, breath brushing my slit again. "You want me to eat that pretty pussy, don't you, little girl? Look at me, what do we say?" "Please, Dr Reid, eat my pussy. I've been thinking about it all day." Spencer licked up my slit before his lips wrapped around my sensitive bud causing my hips to buck against him. His large hands reached up and pushed them back down, holding them tight enough that I'd have bruises in a few days. The lewd sound of him sucking made me moan as much as the sensation of his lips on my clit did. Finally he inserted two long fingers and curled them against my g-spot. But his other hand came up to my stomach to hold me down when I tried to buck against him, holding me down against the mattress. "Fuck, Spencer! Dr Reid, oh my god!" Spencer let my clit go with a soft pop, locking his gaze with mine as his fingers pumped in and out of me. It didn't take long until he brought me to the edge, and I was a mewling mess beneath him. I pulled futilely at the handcuffs around my wrists as I whimpered. "You're gonna cum, aren't you? You gonna cum for me like a good girl, Nyssa?" "Please- I have to- I want to-" "Cum for me, little girl," Spencer said. I moaned as I felt my first orgasm rush over me when he entered me with a snap of his hips. He sat inside me not moving for a while as he gave me time to adjust to his size. Even after all this time it was a shock how full he made me feel. When I nodded, he moved his hips and started fucking me, nice and slow and gentle at first. I bit my lip on the string of curses that threatened to spill out. "That's my good little girl. Don't hold back, moan for me. Let me hear you." "Dr Reid, oh my god. You're so big, you feel so good inside me." "I feel so good inside you? Tell me who this tight little cunt belongs to. Use my name, baby." "You, Spencer, only you. Please, fuck me. I want you. I need you." "Good girl, princess. You've got me. Always." "Spencer, I'm gonna-" "Cum for me, little girl. I'm right behind you." Spencer's thrusts became shorter and sloppier as he reached his climax. Finally he gave one last thrust and muffled his groan against my throat, his teeth sinking in over the bruise he had sucked earlier. The sensation of him biting the already sensitive spot made me cum, and he pulled out of me once my walls let him go. He grabbed the handcuff key from the bedside table and unlocked my wrists. I sat up as he slipped off the bed to grab the lotion from our suitcase. When he came back to sit on the bed, I gave him one of my wrists. He massaged the feeling back into both of my hands before pulling me against him. My arms went around his neck as he kissed me gently. "Are you okay, little girl? I didn't hurt you, did I?" Spencer said, back to being my gentle fiance. "No, you didn't hurt me. I'm absolutely perfectly fine." "We should get some sleep so we can get an early start tomorrow. Good night, Nyssa." "Night, Spence. I love you." "I love you, too." I fell asleep shortly after Spencer pulled me against his chest. We were woken up by our phones going off with a text from Hotch. There had been another murder, and he needed us to meet at the station. He sent us with the sheriff and Rossi to the crime scene. When we got there, we saw a few of the officers about to cut the victim down from where she was tied to a tree, and raised our voices to stop them. "Woah, woah, woah! What are you doing?!" Spencer shouted. "Do not disturb the crime scene," the sheriff ordered. "Well, we took a bunch of pictures just like you ordered us to," an officer responded. "I ordered you not to touch a damn thing." "We need to look at this crime scene undisturbed," Spencer said. "Do you mind not standing there? Thanks." "He's escalated his cuts. They're not only bigger-" Rossi says. "Cutting was done postmortem. It was the gunshot that killed her." "How can you tell?" "Based on the lack of blood flow and scar tissue. If she were alive when this was done, there would be a lot more blood on her back." "Which means this wasn't S&M. This was symbolic." I say. "Symbolic of what?" "We're not sure." "Can you smell that?" Spencer asks. "Lavender." "That doesn't grow in these parts." "It's mainly around her legs." "Why would he do that?" "Reid, can you look into it? We can't trust the coroner to follow through." "Yeah." "We need to deliver the profile." We drive back to the station and join the rest of the team inside. The officers are all standing around waiting for us to begin. Hotch begins with the description of the unsub we're looking for. Gender, general description and probable age range. "We believe the unsub we're looking for is a white male in his early thirties. While his M.O. is that of a sadist, we think there's an underlying pathology of what we call a wound collector." "What's that?" "A wound collector is someone who uses a lifetime of sleights, grievances and wrongs as justification for violence," Spencer explains. "Examples can be as large scale as Hitler scapegoating the Jews for the Holocaust." "Or as common as an abusive husband blaming his wife as an excuse to beat her," JJ adds. "This unsub is low key, almost submissive in public," I continue. "He has to be to attract the prostitutes." "But his real nature will be revealed in the safety of isolation. This is the type of man who would anonymously express himself online by raging against how these women are filled with disease and filth, how they deserve what's coming to them, probably to cover for the rejection of a woman or spouse who's wronged him." "Which means the unsub probably has a working-class or part-time job," JJ adds. "It gives him the time to plan and execute the murders." "He's strong and good with his hands and probably drives a work truck or large vehicle," Rossi says. "This allows him to move the bodies and carry the tools for posing his victims," Blake adds. "Tabitha Ryerson tells us he's losing control. He killed her in her home and then transported her body to the woods so he could mutilate her postmortem. The public nature of the display was a message," Derek says. "To who?" "To us. This is a small town and he knows the FBI is here investigating his crimes. He thinks he's showing us that he's smarter than we are," Spencer answers. "He's also showing us his wounds. There's part of him that wants us to stop him and punish him for his crimes. Thank you. Excuse me." Hotch steps away to answer his phone and I follow him to listen in. Penelope was calling with some information about the latest victim. "Sir, I found something odd in Tabitha Ryerson's records. It turns out she was quite the independent contractor. She accepted credit card payments. There's one here for a new client she was going to see for the first time tomorrow. It's labeled 'Mack.' I'm thinking Mack the knife, maybe?" "What's the name on the credit card?" It turns out the name on the credit card traced back to the principal of a school nearby. Hotch sends Alex and Rossi to pick him up, bring him back to the station and question him. Meanwhile, Spencer and I researched why Tabitha may have had lavender on her legs. It was Biblical, which I had suspected but I wasn't positive until now. When we walk out to the main room, the sheriff is shouting at Hotch and Morgan because he had been sure that we had our man. Honestly I was hopeful too, but it turned out not to be the principal. "How could it not be him? He had S&M sessions with all the victims." "We profiled that this unsub would be submissive in public and dominant with the prostitutes, and McIntyre is the opposite." "He takes the submissive role in the S&M play most likely because he's so dominant as a principal at his parochial school." "So we're back to the starting point." "Our best bet is still the prostitutes," I say. "Tabitha's death might scare some of them into talking with us. Mrs. Lawson?" Hotch says. "Did Preacher Mills talk to you?" "Not since yesterday, why?" "We were talking in his church, and one of the girls, Belinda, I think, came in begging for help. The preacher said he was gonna tell you what she saw and get an update on the case, but he never came back?" "When was this?" "This morning." "No, we haven't seen him." "What do you mean? She said the same thing my sister did. 'They' were coming to get her. What the hell is going on?" After spending about twenty minutes researching, Spencer figures out why Tabitha had lavender on her feet. It was Biblical, which was what I suspected, but I wasn't sure until now. We walk back out to the main room and get the team's attention. Spencer launches into his explanation of what we found as soon as the whole team plus a few officers were around us and I chimed in when I could. "Guys, I think I know what the lavender on Tabitha Ryerson's feet was about. Have you ever heard of spikenard?" "Uh, no," the sheriff says. "it's perfume. It's mentioned in the Gospels," Hotch says. "It's derived from lavender," I say. "It's what Mary Magdalene used to wash Jesus' feet, which tells us that this unsub's message is obviously religious in nature." "Preacher Mills, maybe. He came forward to volunteer information," Derek says. "Well, yesterday he said he'd let us know if he had any more information, but apparently he's changed his mind." "He fits the profile. He's morally rigorous, submissive in public," I say. "So we'll put an APB out for him." While the sheriff starts working on the APB for Mills, Hotch sends Derek, Spencer and I to his church. But the only person we see when we get there is a middle aged woman stocking hymnals and Bibles. Derek gets her attention and she walks over to greet us. "I haven't seen the preacher since this morning. He was talking to one of those girls." "Do you know if she's still here?" I ask. "I think she slipped out. Her name was Belinda." "Do you mind if we check the back?" Spencer asks. "Oh, no." After a while Spencer comes back and says the preacher isn't here. So I pull out my phone and text Hotch. He tells us to come back to the station and regroup. When we get back to the station he's on the phone with Penelope. She had dug up some dirt on Mills' background. "Sir, I got the backhoe going into this not-so-clean preacher. I haven't found his present whereabouts yet, but I'm looking at his back account. I can tell you he doesn't adhere to the 'give all your money to the poor' model." "Any idea where the money's coming from?" "Not yet. But it's mostly cash, and we're talking six figures big." "You know, maybe it's sex trafficking. This unsub is able to get prostitutes to let their guard down. They're somebody they know." "I thought you said our killer was a John?" "Prostitutes would rat out a John or kill him themselves, but they would never go against their own pimp." "Garcia, take everything you know about Mills and run it up against pandering and procuring charges. This isn't the first time he's done this," Hotch tells my best friend. "You got it." "Did you know the charge of being a pimp, when gussied up, is 'procuring and pandering'?" Penelope says when she calls back a few minutes later. "And Hotch was right. Preacher Mills is familiar with this charge. Because before he was Justin Mills, he was Gordon Borell, and he was arrested for cutting one of the ladies he employed." "Where did he cut her?" Rossi asks. "On the back. When questioned, she said- oh, I'm gonna have to look at kitten videos after this- he was marking his property." "You're kidding," the sheriff says. "That's why the sheriff specifically asked me about the wounds on Lucas Wagner," Hotch says. "He knew we'd find out about his past." "Why didn't we turn this up before now?" Rossi asks Penelope. "Because he changed his name when he crossed the border. The northern border, to be exact. Mr. Mills, nee Borell, is from Tees, Alberta. I'll tell you what. Those Canadians, they seem so sweet and innocent, but when they go bad, they go Darth Vader bad." "So he came over here to start over, took on the mantle of the collar as the perfect cover for the sex trade. No one in this town would question a man of God." "But now we got the smoking gun we need on this guy," the sheriff says. "Garcia, was there an attempted murder charge?" Hotch asks. "No. In fact, she said he wanted her to go back out and start working when he was done cutting her." "He's not our unsub." "This guy fit's to a 't'. How can we rule him out?" "Criminally, pimps follow the same behavioral pattern as drug dealers," Rossi says "Prostitutes are his revenue stream. He would only kill them as a last resort," Spencer adds. "Which is why the cutting in Canada was a punishment, not a religious punishment, but a punishment for not doing their jobs," I say. "Then he comes here to start over, set up a new shop," Derek says. "And that's when somebody found out about his past, used it as a forensic countermeasure to throw us off track by framing him." "That's why the girls kept saying 'they're' after us. There wasn't a team of unsubs, but one sadist copying the behavior of another." "It would also explain the change with Tabitha, the escalation, the perfume on the feet." "But you said the unsub wanted us to catch him and punish him." "What he really wanted was for us to catch the preacher." "So whoever this guy is, he's fooled all of us, and now we've got nothin' when it comes to the profile." "No, that's not true. The unsub chose Mills for a reason, and Mills can still lead us to the unsub," Hotch tells the sheriff. "We'll have Agent Morgan and the deputies start at his house." The sheriff sends the deputies with Derek to check out Mills' house. He's not home, which isn't really surprising if he knows we're onto his background and looking for him. But what is surprising is what Derek tells us when he calls Hotch fifteen minutes later. "We just went through the preacher's house. No one's in there. But I did find cocaine in a hidden compartment." "How much?" I ask. "A kilo. With that amount, he's not just using it, he's selling it, too." "If that's the case, then the suspect pool of whoever's framing him just got a lot bigger," Hotch says. "Well, JJ's headed to the bar to see if Dinah's seen him," Rossi says. "Any luck?" Hotch asks JJ when she calls. "He's not here, either." "I've got roadblocks on every corner in and out of town. He won't get far," the sheriff says. "JJ, help canvas the area. We'll dig deeper here and see if we can figure out where he's going." It turns out not to be necessary for Penelope to dig any deeper into Mills' past to figure out where he's going. Because not long after Hotch hangs up with JJ, a female officer's voice comes over the radio. Everyone turns toward her voice as she speaks. "Sheriff, be advised. I've got the suspect headed into El Lobito's Diner. Repeat, I've got the suspect headed into El Lobito's Diner." "Copy. We're on our way. We got him." "All right, Johnson, you, Reid and Blake go with the sheriff," Hotch orders. "Dave and I will coordinate the response here." Spencer, Alex and I head to one of the SUV's and put on our bulletproof vests. We ride with the sheriff to the diner on the other side of town, and my hand instinctively finds it's way into Spencer's. He rubs his thumb over the back of it softly and kisses my head. Once we make it to the diner, the female officer meet us. We climb out of our vehicles and walk over to her and the sheriff asks for an update. "He's been in there a good five minutes now. I haven't seen any movement yet." "What about patrons?" Spencer asks. "Uh, it's closed." "How many entrances?" "Two, it looks like." "The question is, is he alone?" "Guys, I've got movement. We should move in now, sheriff," one of the deputies says. "Actually we're better off establishing the perimeter first," Spencer answers him. "Then we can open up a line of communication." "All right, agreed. We need to get around-" the sheriff is cut off with a bullet to the chest. "Shots fired! Shots fired!" We all take cover behind the open doors of the vehicles we drove in. But then Alex comes out of cover to try and drag the sheriff's body into cover. Spencer yells her name and stands up to push her out of the way of a bullet and it hits him in the neck. I scream as his body flies back a good few feet. I scramble out of cover to see what the damage is and my vision goes grey for a moment. Blood is pouring from his neck, and I feel like I'm going to pass out. I know if it hit his carotid, he'll be dead before paramedics are even called. "Oh fuck, Spencer... you're gonna be okay. Just hold on, all right?" Alex helps me drag Spencer so he's leaning against the squad car. I don't even notice Derek and a few other people go into the cafe after Mills. I hold my jacket on Spencer's neck and soon his blood is flowing between my fingers. Alex screams for a medic, but I barely hear what she's saying over the ringing in my ears. There's so much blood, and I'm terrified the bullet hit his artery. "We need a medic now! There's too much blood! Hey, you're doing great, all right? You gotta stay right here, okay? Eyes on me. Eyes on me. Yeah. No, no, no. Spencer? Spencer! Look at me, baby, please. You gotta stay awake." "Ethan? Ethan! Open your eyes," Blake says. "Hurry!" "Where's the fucking medic, Alex?! Spencer, please. Wake up." Finally the paramedics arrive and I help one of them bandage Spencer's neck. Hopefully it'll be enough to keep the bleeding to a minimum so he survives the ambulance ride to the hospital. The man asks me if I've had any formal training and I have to tell the truth. But he congratulates me on instinctively knowing what to do. I just shrug and tell him that I had no idea what I was doing. They load Spencer into the ambulance and don't even question when I follow them. The female paramedic just takes one look at my engagement ring and hears the heartbroken sobs ripping from my lungs and knows. She knows that there's no way I would let them go without me. Before we can head out, Derek climbs into the back of the ambulance. He's got a graze wound from a bullet but I barely register it. He'll be fine, he's not the one I have to worry about. He's survived a lot worse than what he got. He and Spencer survived almost being blown up for crying out loud. I take Spencer's hand but I'm careful to stay out of the paramedic's way as they work on the love of my life. "The sound is like a teakettle. Do you hear it?" "What? Reid," Derek says. Suddenly the heart monitor starts alarming, and I choke out a sob as I reach for Derek's hand. I turn my face into his shoulder and he presses a few soft kisses to the top of my head. He murmurs softly to me for a moment but I barely register what he says. All I know is that the love of my life is probably dying right now, and I can't do a damn thing about it. I look over at the male paramedic with tears in my eyes as he works to stabilize Spencer. I have to swallow a few times before I can choke out what I want to say. "Please, you've gotta save him. We're supposed to be getting married in October. We have a two year old at home. He's the love of my life, I can't lose him. I won't survive losing him, you've got to do something, please, I'm begging you." "Pulse is thready. Starting large-bore I.V." "Spencer! Spencer!" "Reid! Reid!" Derek shouts. "Agent, you've got to sit back," the female paramedic says. "You've gotta help him, man. Kid, come on, now. Stay with us. We're right here. Reid. Reid! Stay with me." "Come on, Spencer. Please. You can't die, okay, I need you. Penelope needs you. You hear me? Your daughter needs you." The paramedic manages to get Spencer stable, and I lean over to cup his cheek in my hand, kissing him softly. Finally we make it to the hospital and they rush him into emergency surgery. I go into the nearest bathroom and turn on the water as hot as it can go, scrubbing the love of my life's blood off my hands. No matter how much I scrub, it seems like I can't get my hands clean. I'm sobbing so hard that I don't even notice Derek had followed me into the bathroom until he shuts off the water. I turn and bury my face in his chest, sagging against him with the weight of my grief. He lifts me into his arms and carries me out of the bathroom, sitting with me until he has to go back and get checked out. I curl myself into as small of a ball as I can, hugging my knees so tight my tendons in my arm pop. When I notice Alex walk into the waiting room out of the corner of my eye, I see her holding the plastic bag filled with Spencer's things. As she walks over and sits down, I stand up and storm over to her. Later I'm probably going to feel so terrible for the things I said to her, but right now I really couldn't care less. I'm too enraged and heartbroken to give a damn if what I say hurts her. It can't be anywhere near as much as I'm hurting. Finally I'm standing in front of her and she looks up at me. Her mouth opens to say something but I stop her. "Shut up, just shut the hell up. You don't get to say anything right now. That bullet was meant for you, it was going to hit you! It would have if Spencer hadn't pushed you out of the way! Now the love of my life is in surgery to get a bullet out of his neck, and I don't know if he's even going to make it off the table alive. Why did you have to drag the sheriff's body into cover?! He was already dead, Alex! He was dead before he hit the ground, there was nothing you could have done for him!! Why couldn't you have just left him where he was?!" Alex doesn't say anything the entire time I'm yelling at her. I don't know how she could understand me through my tears, but that wasn't really important. A few nurses come over and one of them is holding a syringe that's probably got a sedative in it. I wave them away and refuse, knowing I'd probably miss Spencer getting out of surgery if I take it. Or at least I would miss the surgeon's update. So I tell them I'm fine and apologize for causing a scene. They look at me with sympathy on their faces as I walk back to my chair and curl up into a ball again. I cry until no tears are falling anymore, and then I keep crying some more. JJ comes hurrying in and heads straight for Alex. "Anything yet?" "No." "Spence would have read like two books by now. Maybe three." "It should have been me." "Or me or any of us." "No. He pushed me out of the way. If he doesn't make it-" "He'll make it." "He has to. He's just- he's too young." "Yeah, there's still things for him to do. You know, he wants more kids?" "Penelope is already the luckiest girl in the world." "No doubt." Finally Penelope arrives and heads right over to me, wrapping her arms tightly around me. I sag tiredly against her, hiding my face against her chest as I sob. She rocks me gently and strokes my hair as I cling to her like her hug is the only thing keeping me sane. "Hey." "You made it." "Yeah, it turns out we're not the only one that's connected and he knows somebody that owns a plane. How is he?" "I don't know, Penny. He's still in surgery. They won't tell us anything. But you didn't see him- that bullet- I think it might have at the very least nicked his artery. He almost died in the ambulance on the way here. God, Pen- if he doesn't make it... I'll never fall in love again. I mean, how could I? There's no one to compare to him, there's no one else even remotely like him." "Hey, listen to me, he'll make it. He loves you so much, Nyssa. He'll come back to you, I know he will." "You all can see Agent Morgan now," a nurse says. "Well, if you don't mind, I'd really like to stay here," Alex says. "The second you hear anything, call me," JJ says. "Hey. I'll be right back," Penelope murmurs to me. When she's gone I stare at the wall a dozen or so feet away. I'm not really looking at the wall, though, I'm looking through it. Thinking about everything Spencer and I have gone through. I plead silently with anyone that might be listening, begging for his life. Penelope comes back after a while and takes my hand. It seems like years before the doctor comes back and heads over to me. I jump up from my chair like it's been electrocuted. My sanity, my entire existence, depends on the next words out of this man's mouth. "Agent?" "How is he?" "Incredibly lucky. Two millimeters to the right and the bullet would have torn through the carotid artery. It nicked some smaller vessels, but we've stopped the bleeding. You can see him now." Penelope, Alex and I follow him to a hospital room. I let out a soft sob when I see Spencer lying on the bed. I listen to the steady beep of the heart monitor as I pull a chair over to his bedside and sit down. I take his hand in mine and kiss it a few times, then I brush his hair out of his face gently. I cup his cheek in my hand for a moment as Penelope takes some collectibles out of her bag. There's the Eleventh Doctor, a couple Daleks, and one I don't recognize. Spencer would probably laugh at me if he knew that. "It'll be so great if he wakes up, and this is the first thing he sees," she says. "Yeah. The good Doctor will always make him smile." "It'd be really weird if he wakes up and we're all just- ooh- staring at him. So, I'm gonna go stand over here." Time seems to drag on so slowly, and I feel like I want to scream, or cry, or do something besides just sit here. But finally Spencer lets out a small groan and blinks his eyes open. I stand up so quickly I knock over the chair I was sitting on. He turns his head toward me and meets my eyes as I let out a sob. His hand squeezes mine softly as he looks up at me with a tired, lopsided smile on his face. "Spencer," I breathe softly. "Hey, little girl." I press feather-light kisses to his face as his hand comes up to cup my cheek. His thumb brushes away a tear as I kiss his lips as softly and tenderly as I can. Then I pull away and rest my forehead against his for a moment. When I pull away his hand stays on my cheek, and my hand that's not holding his comes up to cover it. Finally he lets his hand drop as he lets out a pained groan. "I'm starving. Can I get something to eat?" Penelope offers to go to the cafeteria to see if she can get him some food. He slowly scoots over in the bed to make a space and asks me to come up next to him. I'm more than happy to oblige, so I let go of his hand for just a moment. But as soon as I'm situated in the bed I take his hand again, and he lifts our joined hands to kiss the back of mine. He shushes me as my face crumples once again. "Hey, no tears. Look, I'm alright. Yeah?" "Yeah. Yeah, alright. I'm okay." "That's my girl." "When this comes off, I'm gonna look just like Boris Karloff." "Yeah, a little green makeup and you'll have the best Halloween costume ever. Everybody's fine. Don't worry." "I'm not." "You've got that furrowed brow." "Hey, hey, hey. Will you look who's still awake," Penelope comes back with a tray. "Can you tell her she can go now, please?" "I'm okay, Alex. Go help the team." "All right. I'm out of here. I'm glad you're awake." "Thank you." "Okay. Juice, broth, or Jell-O!" Penelope says. "Jell-O, my favorite." After a while Penelope's phone rings and she puts it on speaker. JJ asks her to dig deeper into the bar owner's background. "Dinah didn't claim any dependents when she filed her tax returns. Bonus points for checking in with Uncle Sam. At least that part of her life's in order. She's from around here. Mom lives ten miles away. Uh... this is weird. Her mom has a first-grader enrolled at Buckingham Elementary. What are the chances a seventy-eight year-old has a first grader?" "What's his name?" "Josh. I'm sending all the information now." "All right, thanks, Garcia." After a while Penelope goes to get Spencer some water, and when she comes back she looks panicked. She presses her back against the door as she shuts it. She's on the phone- I can hear Derek's voice from the other end of the line. He's trying to keep her calm as he can. "Okay, I did that, now what?" Penelope asks. "I need you to focus and I need you to listen to me. Can you do that?" Derek responds. "Yes, yes, I can do that. I can do that." "Is there a wheelchair in the room?" "Um... yes." "That is not gonna be easy." "I can help you, Penelope. What's going on?" "Then get his patient bag. His gun is in there." "Oh, my god. What?" "I've got mine, too, Derek. What the hell is going on?" "Penelope, I need you and Nyssa to get out in that hallway." "Okay." Penelope and I manage to get Spencer in the wheelchair. He's got just enough strength that he can help us a little. Then I wheel him out in the hallway, and Penelope pulls the fire alarm. Pretty soon there's confusion in the hallway as people stream toward the exit. When we're outside I take the phone and demand to know what's going on. Derek fills me in on everything and I curse loudly. People stare at me but I flash my badge slightly and they turn away. Finally we're allowed to go back inside as I hand the phone back to Penelope. "He's gone, right?" "He is gone. They're letting us back in." "All right, good. You did it, baby girl." "I lost a couple karma points, but, uh-huh, I did it." "All right, I'll be there in about five minutes." We get back to Spencer's room and get him back into bed. He scoots all the way over and holds the blankets up for me to scoot in. I lay my head gently on his chest and his arm comes around my shoulders to rub my arm softly. Penelope brushes his hair out of his face. "You okay?" I ask. "Yeah. I'm just really tired." "Of course you are. You need to get some sleep." "Oh, but how can you sleep? 'Cause you're in a hospital where people are always poking you. He had his meds an hour ago," Penelope says as a nurse comes in. "Yeah, post-op antibiotics." "Yeah, he had those, too." "Which ones? Carbenicillin? No, that's not right. I have a severe reaction to beta lactams. I can't have that." "That's not in your chart," the nurse says. "What are you doing? What are you doing?" Spencer tears his I.V. out. When the nurse bends over to pick up the syringe that he dropped and the I.V. tube I see a gun in his waistband. That's when I realize something is very wrong here. I open my mouth to scream but just then Spencer notices it too. "Garcia, he has a gun!" Penelope fumbles in Spencer's patient bag for his gun as the 'nurse' reaches for the gun in his waistband. They aim at each other at the same time but Penelope squeezes the trigger first. The bullet hits the man in the chest and Derek comes running in with a few nurses, checking the mans pulse before cuffing him.. I look down at the man on the floor and I'm disappointed to see him moving. Usually I like when a case doesn't involve casualties of the bad guys, but when they injure or even try to hurt Spencer then all bets are off. "He's moving. Okay. I didn't know how loud. I can't hear except for my heart. Feels like it's gonna come out. Can that happen? Physically, can your heart burst out of your chest? And what is this ringing? My ears don't pop for like a week after I fly, and if this is like that, that's gonna drive me bonkers. Am I yelling? Because it feels like I might be yelling." "You saved my life," Spencer says. "Can you hear me?" "Yeah, I heard that. That makes it better. Thank you for saying that." "Thank you for doing it." "Uh-huh. Okay. You're okay. Okay." Luckily Spencer is discharged that afternoon and by evening we're in the air. I sit on the couch and Spencer lies down with his head in my lap. I run my fingers softly through his curls as I listen to music. I mumble the lyrics to him softly as he falls asleep. Oh, why you look so sad, the tears are in your eyes Come on and come to me now, and don't be ashamed to cry Let me see you through, 'cause I've seen the dark side too When the night falls on you, you don't know what to do Nothing you confess could make me love you less I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you Won't let nobody hurt you, I'll stand by you So if you're mad, get mad, don't hold it all inside Come on and talk to me now Hey there, what you got to hide I get angry too, well, I'm alive like you When you're standing at the crossroads And don't know which path to choose Let me come along, 'cause even if you're wrong I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you Won't let nobody hurt you, I'll stand by you Baby, even to your darkest hour And I'll never desert you, I'll stand by you And when, when the night falls on you baby You're feeling all alone, you're wandering on your own I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you Won't let nobody hurt you, I'll stand by you Baby even to your darkest hour And I'll never desert you, I'll stand by you I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you Won't let nobody hurt you, I'll stand by you Baby even to your darkest hour And I'll never desert you, I'll stand by you "Huh, look at this. It's a booked flight," Garcia says after a while. "Maybe with the year we've all had, uh, the brass will give us a bigger plane, you know," Cruz says. "Yeah, let me know how that goes," Rossi answers. "What did the Rangers think?" JJ asks. "Sadly, they've seen this before. They're going to have their hands full cleaning the place up." Everyone goes silent for a moment and then Hotch's phone goes off. I take one Airpod out and look over at my boss with a sigh. "Hotch, don't tell me we have another case," Derek says. "Are we turning the plane around?" Penelope asks. "No. No, we're gonna go home and get some sleep." "Lots of it, I hope," Rossi says. "I am starting now," Penelope says. When we land in D.C. Alex offers to drive us home, so Spencer hands her the key to his Prius. Once we get to our building Spencer takes his keys from her and flips through them to find the apartment key. Alex follows behind us as we climb the stairs to our floor. "You sure you're okay?" "I feel great. Ah, that's overselling it. I, uh, I feel great considering I just got shot in the neck." When we get to our apartment Spencer unlocks the door and walks inside, flipping on the light in the living room. I thank Ashley, the babysitter, and show her out after she tells me she had put Penelope to sleep an hour ago. Once she leaves Alex turns to Spencer and I, his satchel still in her hands. Spencer wraps his arms around me from behind and pulls me into his arms as she raises it. "Where do you want this?" "Any- right there is fine," Spencer points to the couch. "Okay. So, you two should get some sleep. I know for a fact Nyssa didn't sleep yesterday." "You all right?" Spencer asks. "Yesterday touched a nerve when I saw you like that." "Who's Ethan?" "My son. He was nine when he died. Doctors said it was neurological, but they didn't have a name for it. Still don't. That drove me crazy. No word to put to this thing that took away my greatest love." "I'm sorry," we both whisper. "He kept growing despite his disease. The last time I lay beside him, he was almost as long as me. He was ready to go. But I wasn't ready to say goodbye," Alex stopped speaking for a moment with a small sob. "I begged him to open his eyes. And the cruelest part was that I could see who he would be at twenty, but I knew he'd never get there." "Ethan's a great name," Spencer says. "Yeah. It means enduring." "It's fitting. You and James never let go of one another. Have you ever had that feeling that your future is somehow behind you?" "All the time." "I did, too. But it isn't." "Ethan would have been a lot like you." "Thank you for being there when I woke up. That meant a lot." "Of course." "Hey, Alex- about what I said in the hospital. I was just so scared, I was sure he was gonna die. I didn't mean it." "I know you didn't mean it, Nyssa. Don't worry, it's alright. You're already forgiven." "Thank you, Alex, I just wanted to make sure you knew." Alex nods and leaves the apartment without another word. We walk out and watch her walk down the stairs, then walk back inside and lock the door. Spencer walks over to the couch and opens his bag, only to find Alex's credentials inside. It's at that moment that we both realize we'll probably never see her again. So we walk over to the window and watch her walk to the curb and get into a cab. After we watch the cab drive out of sight, I turn away from the window and wrap my arms around Spencer. He wraps me in a hug as I take comfort in his familiar scent. He always smells like autumn- like mahogany and musk, with a bit of a spicy edge to it. There's no other scent in the world that I love more than that. Before I became a field agent I used to spray his cologne on his CalTech sweatshirt or the old tshirt of his that I slept in when he was away. I let out a tiny sob and Spencer curls around me to kiss the top of my head a few times. "Hey, little girl, don't cry. I'm fine, I'm alive. I'm right here with you." "I know you are. I'm sorry. I'm just exhausted. I was so scared, Spencer." "I know you were, I'm sorry baby. I didn't mean to scare you." "It's okay, Spence. It's not your fault," I sigh softly. "Why couldn't Alex have just left the sheriff?" "I'm sure she was hoping he was still alive. That she could still save him." "She should have known he was gone. I could tell he was beyond help as soon as it happened." "It wasn't her fault, you know; I would have done the same for anyone on the team." The next day is Saturday- the day of my first wedding dress fitting. I wake up and get Penny and me ready before kissing Spencer goodbye, meeting up with my BAU girls and my sister. We board our train and climb the stairs into the sunshine when we arrive at our station. Once we walk to Kleinfeld and check in it's not long before Randy comes over to us. I greet him and introduce him to Peyton as he takes us downstairs to bridesmaids. We sit down and he asks what type of dresses I'm looking for. "Well I want Peyton, Anna and Penelope to have the same dress, but the others it doesn't matter as long as they're pink chiffon." My friends had fun trying on different dresses for a few hours while Vera helped me with my alterations. In the end, Peyton, Anna and Penelope got a chiffon faux-wrap floral print dress, Emily got a long mesh dress with lace cap sleeves, and JJ got a geometric sequin spaghetti strap sheath dress. After we get the bridesmaid dresses we look for a flower girl dress for Penny. I helped her try on a bunch of dresses before deciding on a sequin tulle overlay dress with a satin sash. The bill for my dress had already been settled so I payed for the bridesmaid dresses and then we left. After we pay for the dresses we head to Hell's Kitchen to go to lunch. Then I say goodbye to Peyton so she could make her flight to go back home. I wouldn't see her again until the bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner and the wedding. I tell the girls I'll see them tomorrow at work before I meet up with Spencer and our wedding planner at Carlo's Bakery for our cake tasting. He had gathered samples of his different cake flavors for us and I showed him the design I wanted. The top layer was in the shape of the TARDIS, and the rest of the layers were just space theme. There were sugar statues of some of the different alien species that the Doctor encountered in the show, and the cake topper was Ten and Donna, our favorite regeneration and companion. We would be able to keep the sugar statues if we wanted to or let people eat them, which is what we were probably going to do. After Spencer pays for the cake we climb into his Prius to drive to a few different wedding venues. They were all beautiful but in the end we liked the Mansion on Strathmore the best. We told them the date of our wedding and luckily it was available for that day. We had to hurry to make our appointment at Paris Catering, and we decided on their Southern Low Country menu- hickory smoked BBQ pulled pork, chicken rubbed with bourbon brown sugar, creamy mac n cheese, brown sugar baked beans, creamy mashed potatoes and corn bread. The day of our bachelor and bachelorette parties finally comes and the girls and I had decided we wanted to drive around in a party bus for a few hours before we ended up at an all male strip club called Men in Motion. I wasn't sure what Spencer and the boys were going to do but I was sure Rossi was going to make it memorable. Derek would probably embarrass my fiance by having a few female strippers there, and I had to laugh at the image. He's so awkward around other women that aren't the team- it took him months to finally tell me that he had feelings for me. I'm sure it would have taken longer if he hadn't almost died. But I love him all the more for how adorably awkward he is. He's not the best at social interactions with most adults, but he's really sweet with the kids we meet, and of course Jack, Michael and Henry. And of course he's the best father for Penny I could possibly ask for. The girls and I partied until about three in the morning before boarding the party bus back to DC. The driver dropped us off at the train station where we had left our cars. JJ drove Penelope, Emily and Alex home, and I buckled Penny into her carseat before texting Spencer that we were on our way. He had made me promise months ago that I would text him the second I was back in my car. He texted back with a "can't wait to see you, little girl" which put a smile on my face as I drove. He met me outside the apartment building and cupped my face in his hands as soon as I was close enough. His lips descended on mine possessively and I moaned into the kiss. "Hey, I missed you. How was your stag party? Did you have fun?" I smiled as I brushed his hair out of his eyes. "I did have fun, yeah. I've been home for hours though. Rossi cooked dinner at his house, and we just hung out. It was all pretty low-key until Derek's surprise arrived. He got me strippers as his best man gift, it was super awkward. Or maybe it was just me. How about you girls? What craziness did you get up to while you were gone? Please tell me you didn't all get matching tattoos." "No we didn't get matching tattoos, you dork. Penelope rented a party bus and we went to a strip club." "An all male strip club I'm assuming," Spencer's eyes darkened with doubt. "Yes, it was an all male strip club, and sure the guys were obviously good looking, but that's all there was to most of them. I don't like my men overly muscled. I like my men tall, sweet, gorgeous and scarily intelligent," I peppered my words with kisses. "I love you more than anything you know. Come inside sweetheart, you look dead on your feet. You need to get some rest." We walked inside the house and I peeked in on Penny to see her sleeping peacefully. Spencer scooped me off of my feet and I covered my squeal with a hand so I didn't wake our daughter. He carried me to the bedroom and then let me down after kissing me softly. I changed into my pyjamas and climbed into bed, and my fiance pulled me against his chest as soon as I laid down. It didn't take long until I fell asleep, and woke up later to Penny crying. I went to her room and scooped her up, kissing her cheek softly. "Good morning sweetheart. Do you need to potty?" "Yeah, mommy," she answered. After Penny went potty I followed her to her room and put clothes on her. Then I went to the kitchen to start breakfast, after I took a few tylenol for my hangover. Spencer must have woken up while I was changing her because he was on the couch as I passed by. Our daughter slid out of her booster seat and ran to her daddy. She held her hands up to be held and he scooped her up with a chuckle. "Good morning, princess. Don't you look cute today?" "Morning, daddy," she smacked her lips against his cheek. "Hey little girl, how do you feel?" "I've got a minor hangover, but other than that I'm good. I took some tylenol, I'll be fine in a half hour. I was gonna make omelettes for breakfast, unless you'd rather have something else? I'm good with anything really." "Omelettes sound great, Nyssa. You excited for the rehearsal dinner?" "Yeah, I really am. How about you?" "Of course. I can't wait." After we ate we walked outside to the car and Spencer drove to the Mansion. Once I took Penny out of her car seat, she took off running as soon as I set her down. Rossi dropped to one knee to scoop her up, peppering her face in kisses as we walked over to them. He hugged me with his free arm, then we heard Penelope calling to us. I hugged my best friend tight and we walked into the Mansion, meeting JJ, Emily and Alex inside. Derek showed up about five minutes after we did, and we ran through our wedding procession. I smiled as the doors opened for me to finally walk down the aisle, seeing my family standing up at the front of the room. When I got to Spencer he took my hand and squeezed it softly. We ran quickly through the ceremony and then Rossi took us out for an early dinner. The two months before my wedding seemed to fly by as cases kept us busy. Finally it was the big day, and I woke up with my stomach full of butterflies. Peyton treated us girls to a morning filled with spa treatments, and then we drove to the Mansion. The makeup and hair team that Rossi had hired was already there, and they made quick work of getting us ready. Then the girls got ready as my mom helped me with my wedding dress. Then finally it was time for the ceremony to start, and I waited for my cue to start walking. I hid just out of sight as I listened to the music start- 2Cellos cover of A Thousand Years. I hooked my arm in my dads, and I had to stop myself from rushing down the aisle toward Spencer. The boys were all wearing heather grey suits with dusty rose colored shirts underneath. Rossi was our officiant, Derek was Spencer's best man, and Jack was a junior groomsman, while Michael was the ring bearer. Tears pricked my eyes as I walked toward my soon-to-be husband. Finally after what seemed like an hour I stopped in front of him and handed my bouquet to Penelope. She kissed my cheek and I finally glanced over at Spencer as he reached out a hand to take mine. He looked so handsome that he took my breath away. I could see tears in his eyes as I turned my attention back to Rossi as he spoke. "Everyone please take a seat. We are gathered here today to witness Nyssa and Spencer join in matrimony. That's what I'm supposed to say, right? See, this is only my second wedding I've officiated. Most officiants meet with the couple once or twice before the ceremony and then see them the day of the wedding and then 'wham, bam, thank you couple!'... they take off for their next wedding gig. Not me. I've known Spencer for eight years, and Nyssa for seven years, when they both started working at the BAU. Something you might not be able to tell about Spencer from looking at him is he's actually quite shy- especially around a pretty girl. So it was a shock to me and the rest of the team how quickly these two became friends. But they seemed to hit it off from almost the moment that they met. Not only have I seen Nyssa and Spencer grow as people, I've seen their relationship grow and blossom into a thing of beauty and I know the love and respect they have for each other has already paved the way for their marriage to be an amazingly happy one. So, it is my great honor to officially begin the wedding of my two good friends, Nyssa and Spencer." I sniffled quietly and watched a tear roll down Spencer's cheek. He lifted my veil and mumbled quietly to me before Rossi continued. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, Nyssa." "You look so handsome, Spencer," I whispered back. "Spencer, please join hands with Nyssa, and repeat after me: Nyssa, you are my best friend, my partner in crime, my love, my lover, my everything. I promise to love you, honor you, help you, have fun with you and share the rest of my life with you and only you from now until eternity." "Nyssa, you are my best friend, my partner in crime, my love, my lover, my everything," Spencer clears his throat softly. "I promise to love you, honor you, help you, have fun with you and share the rest of my life with you and only you from now until eternity." "Nyssa, repeat after me: Spencer, you are my best friend, my partner in crime, my love, my lover, my everything. I promise to love you, honor you, help you, have fun with you and share the rest of my life with you and only you from now until eternity." "Spencer, you are my best friend, my partner in crime, my love, my lover, my everything. I promise to love you, honor you, help you, have fun with you and share the rest of my life with you and only you from now until eternity." "Now the bride and groom have informed me that they have written their own vows. Spencer?" "The way I see it every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice-versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant. Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty." Spencer flashes a crooked smile and continues with a soft chuckle. "It's not the time that matters, it's the person. There's a lot of things you need to make it across this universe. Warp drive... wormhole refractors... you know the thing you need most of all? You need a hand to hold. You and me. Time and space. You watch us run." "I promise that as our everyday life begins, we will continue to be best friends, we will still be boyfriend and girlfriend. I will never let our honeymoon period end. Nyssa, loving you is the easiest, most obvious thing I've ever done, and I will love you for an eternity," Spencer takes my hand in his, eyes shining with unshed tears. "In your eyes, I have found my home. In your heart, I have found my love. In your soul, I have found my mate. With you I am whole, full, alive. You make me laugh. You let me cry. You are my breath, my every heartbeat. I am yours. You are mine. Of this we are certain. You are lodged in my heart. The small key is lost. You must stay there forever." "Nyssa, it's your turn. When you're ready." "I am and always will be the optimist. The hoper of far-flung hopes and the dreamer of impossible dreams. You know when sometimes you meet someone so beautiful and then you actually talk to them, and they're as dull as a brick. Then there's other people, and you meet them and think, not bad, they're okay. And then you get to know them, and their face just sort of becomes them, like their personality is written all over it. And they just turn into something so beautiful," I pause to dab at the tears in my eyes and stop them from falling and ruining my makeup. "When you're growing up, they tell you it's all... grow up, get a job, get married, get a house, have a kid, and that's it. But the truth is, the world is so much stranger than that. It's so much darker. And so much madder. And so much better. One may tolerate the world of demons for the sake of an angel. You're my angel, Spencer. My life was perfectly fine before I met you, don't get me wrong. But when I met you, it was like the world got brighter, the colors got more vivid." "I promise to try to be worthy of your love in every way, to climb mountains, and swim oceans, just to be by your side. I will be honest, caring, loving and forgiving, and I will always be a loyal wife. I vow to be patient, humble, loving, and always a little mysterious, always giving you reason to believe we have another miracle together around every corner. You are my inspiration and my soul's fire. You are the magic of my days. You help me laugh, you teach me love. You provide a safe space for me, unlike I've ever known. You free me to sing my own song. You are more of an amazement to me, each day I rediscover you. I am yours. You are mine. Of this we are certain. You are lodged in my heart. The small key is lost. You must stay there forever."

"Okay, now it's time to exchange rings. The heart shape has a really good press agent, but circles are the ultimate symbol of love. I think about wedding rings as two circles that have finally found their other half. And now completed, they flow into each other so perfectly you cannot see anything but a perfect union. And so, it's the perfect symbol not just for love, but for Spencer and Nyssa. They have found each other and are so perfect for each other. Jack, may I have the rings please? Now as you slide your rings on each other's fingers, realized they're not simply circle's you're giving to your loved one, you're giving yourself to your perfect match, and blending two very awesome people into one perfect union."

Rossi continues as he takes the rings from Jack and gives them to us. "Spencer, repeat after me: Nyssa, please accept this ring as a symbol of my total devotion to you. With this ring, I thee wed, and am proud to give myself to you fully."

"Nyssa, please accept this ring as a symbol of my total devotion to you," Spencer repeats, his voice choked with emotion. "With this ring, I thee wed, and am proud to give myself to you fully."

"Nyssa repeat after me: Spencer, please accept this ring as a symbol of my total devotion to you. With this ring, I thee wed, and am proud to give myself to you fully."

"Spencer, please accept this ring as a symbol of my total devotion to you," I slide his wedding band on his finger. "With this ring, I thee wed, and am proud to give myself to you fully."

"I've known Spencer and Nyssa for years, I was there when they first met, and now here I am using the power vested in me by the District of Columbia to pronounce them husband and wife. Go ahead and get that first married kiss out of the way! I know you've been dying to kiss your girl since she walked up here to you, kid. Thanks for waiting."

Our friends and family all cheer but I hardly hear them as Spencer cupped my face. I stood on tiptoes to wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him back until Rossi cleared his throat softly. Then I pull away but keep my arms locked around his neck.

"There are so many different kinds of love. The love you have for your friends and family. The love you have for that super rare Lego USS Enterprise that your friend accidentally knocked off your kitchen table and destroyed, but now you're 100% over it because he just officiated your wedding. But the love between two people who choose to get married is a very special kind of love. It's not a love you're born into, it's one that needs to be built, brick by brick. The first brick is a look, the next a conversation, then a date, another date, some things we won't mention in front of the children, and each and every day since they met they've been adding bricks to their love's foundation until one day they realize it is solid, not even falling on the kitchen floor. Nyssa and Spencer have built this love together and I know they will keep adding exciting new bricks each and every day. Now let's eat, drink, and party!"

The wedding party exits the hall and ends up in a room adjacent to the main hall. After all the guests have taken their seat the DJ quiets them and announces each duo. Finally it's just Spencer and me, and he cups my face in his hands to kiss me softly again.

"And now it gives me great pleasure to announce, for the first time as husband and wife, Dr. and Mrs. Spencer Reid!"

We walk into the hall amidst more applause and make our way to the head table. It's not long after we arrive before someone clinks their glass, and Spencer chuckles softly as he kisses me again. I cup his cheek in my hand as I kiss him back before sitting down. The catering staff bring out the food that they helped Rossi make. Once we're finished eating the DJ announces it's time for speeches. The DJ walks over to my dad and hands him the mic. It's rare for my dad to get emotional so I'm surprised to see tears in his eyes. "Good afternoon everyone. On behalf of Renee and myself, I would like to begin by thanking you all for coming here to celebrate this very special, happy occasion, the wedding of our daughter Nyssa to Spencer. Now for those of you who may not know, Nyssa isn't my biological daughter. Her mother and I started dating when she was twelve, and my son and daughter were eleven and nine. It didn't take more than a year for me to know that I wanted to marry Renee, and I was proud to have all three children standing at the altar with us." "For Christmas the year that Nyssa was sixteen, she presented me with adoption papers. She never knew her biological father- he walked out on her mother when she told him she was pregnant. It meant the world to me that she loved me enough to want me to adopt her, and to put my name on her birth certificate. From the moment we met, I've imagined this day so many times. I was hoping that she would give me the honor of walking her down the aisle and giving her away, and she couldn't have picked a better man." "Every wedding is special, of course. But to see your daughter get married is something else. Nyssa, our walk down the aisle this afternoon is a memory I shall cherish. You looked absolutely beautiful, and your happiness and excitement to marry Spencer radiated off of you. From the moment you first introduced us to him, I knew that he would be the man you ended up with forever." "We first met Spencer virtually, when Nyssa Skyped us one day when they were hanging out. Star Trek was on in the background, and as she kept glancing away to watch the show, he would glance over at her occasionally. It didn't take more than a few minutes for Renee and I to see how in love with our daughter this man was. They shared a few glances and the love they felt radiated through the screen. Meeting him in person for the first time was definitely not the traditional way most parents meet their children's significant other though. "Nyssa called us one night at around one in the morning, absolutely devastated. The BAU were in Texas working a case, and Spencer had gotten shot in the neck saving a team member's life. She didn't know much, only that he was in surgery. It wasn't until we arrived at the hospital after a sixteen and a half hour car ride that she told us the bullet hit his neck. The surgeon didn't know if he would survive the surgery, or the massive amount of blood loss. It turns out that if the bullet would have hit two millimeters to the right, Spencer wouldn't be sitting here next to his wife today. As it was, he had died on the operating table, but they were able to bring him back. Then, hours after that, someone snuck into his hospital room to try and finish the job. But thanks to Penelope's quick finger, he survived that too." "Anyone who knows the two of them or saw them together will know how in love and how well suited they are for each other. When Spencer woke up in the hospital that day, he gave her the option to walk away. He knew how dangerous their job was. But Nyssa just rolled her eyes, and in a voice choked with tears, told him to stop being an idiot, that she wasn't going anywhere. You only have to be in their company for a few minutes to see that they are best friends as well as soulmates, they are each other's perfect match." "Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, could you please raise your glass to the bride and groom, Nyssa and Spencer!" The room was filled with cheers and a chorus of congratulations, and someone started to clink their silverware against their glass. Before long, more and more people had joined in, until Spencer smiled, cupped my face in his hands and kissed me breathless. I didn't even notice my dad had passed the mic off to my mom until she cleared her throat. I reluctantly pulled away from the kiss with a laugh. "Hello everyone, my name is Renee. For those of you who don't know, I'm Nyssa's mother. I just want to say thank you to everyone for coming to celebrate today with us, and for the gifts and generous donations to their honeymoon fund." "To my husband, Scott, thank you for accepting my daughter into your family. Thank you for treating her better than any man has before. Thank you for adopting her, for walking down the aisle and helping me give her away. And especially thank you for loving me." "When I went to one of my first ultrasounds after I got pregnant, my OB/GYN told me I should abort Nyssa. She told me that my child would never have a normal life, she wouldn't walk, talk, or live past the age of two. It took a little while for her to learn how to crawl and walk, but she did it. She was talking in short phrases by the time she was six months old, and sentences by the time she was one. She could read a few words by the time she was two, and it wasn't long until she was reading me bedtime stories." "She was the only two year old girl I know that was more into dinosaurs than she ever was in baby dolls. I'll never forget when she was three years old, watching The Land Before Time, she turned to me and said 'mom, I know what type of dinosaur Little Foot is. He's an apatosaurus.' When I took her to Early Childhood Family Education, they told me she could skip kindergarten. The only reasons I didn't have her skip a grade was because she was still working on some skills like tying her shoes, and she was already shorter than everyone." "When she turned eighteen she begged and begged me to let her get her eyebrow and nose pierced. After lots of fights and going back and forth, I finally reluctantly agreed, but told her she had to pay for it. When she was twenty-one I took her to get her first tattoo, because I didn't want her to go out drinking. Call me a helicopter parent all you want, but I've seen too many real-life horror stories and seen too many true crime stories and Lifetime movies. I wasn't going to let my little girl go out clubbing and get kidnapped." "Nyssa called me the day that Spencer asked her out, and her excitement radiated through the phone. When she called again to tell me how the date went I knew that he was special. He's treated her better than any of her other boyfriends ever could or would have. And when she introduced us, I could tell that they were perfect for each other. When she called me in a panic a few years ago to tell me that she was pregnant with Penny, I'll admit I was skeptical because of my experience. But Spencer has never once even considered leaving, and he is the best father. Penny is definitely a daddy's girl, and she's got him wrapped around her finger. I knew it was only a matter of time before he called us to get our blessing to ask her to marry him. I couldn't ask for a better husband and partner for her, or a better man to call my son-in-law. There really isn't any advice I could give him that he's not already doing. To Nyssa and Spencer!" Spencer had wrapped his arm around me sometime during my parent's speeches, and I laid my head on his shoulder as I listened to my mother speaking. When she was finished, the DJ took the mic from her and walked down to give it to my husband. He stood up and took my hand, and I got to my feet. I reached out and wiped a tear off his cheek with my thumb as he cleared his throat and began to speak. "I'm not going to lie to you all, I've been a nervous wreck the last couple months. I don't hate speaking to crowds, but it's not my favorite thing to do. I've written and rewritten this so many times. So here goes nothing- I'm really smart, I swear I am." "Okay so on behalf of my wife and I- wow, I just called her my wife. You have no idea how good that feels. But we would like to thank you all for coming today. I know two months' notice isn't a ton of time, but our work is unpredictable. We could easily get called to a case at any time tonight. Hopefully luck is on our side and that doesn't happen, but I digress. It means a lot to us that you all could make it." "To the bridesmaids, Peyton and our BAU family, thank you for supporting my extremely nervous wife today." "I'd like to say a huge thank you to Scott and Renee. I'll be forever grateful for your blessing to marry your beautiful daughter. Just so you know, I would have asked her even without your blessing. Nyssa has also asked me to say that of all the walks she's ever taken, today was her favorite. It meant the world to both of us that you were willing to give her away to me today." "As you can probably see, I don't have much of a family. My dad left when I was twelve, and it's been just me and my mom, Diana Reid. I took care of her all on my own until I was eighteen. Having to put her in an institution when I was eighteen was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. But I love her with all my heart, and she's still my best friend and biggest supporter. She taught me that I could do anything. I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a huge momma's boy. Mom, I know you've been waiting for this moment my whole life. I've finally met the one, which felt strange at first, since I've never really believed in the idea of soulmates until I met her." "To our daughter, Penny- named after her godmother- she might not remember this day when you're older. But I couldn't imagine not having her in our wedding. She was a huge surprise, but the best one I've ever had. Penny, mommy and daddy love you very much. We only ever want what's best for you. As you get older we're going to argue, there are going to be times when you think we're being unfair because we didn't let you do what you want. There are going to be times you say you hate us and wish you had different parents. But I'll just remind you, every time, that we just want what's best for you. I promise that we will always be by your side when you need us." "Finally, last but by no means least, to my beautiful wife. First of all, thanks for showing up, for a moment there I thought you had realized that you could do so much better. But you didn't, and you're stuck with me now. You look amazing right now, I really am the luckiest guy on the planet. I want to thank you for walking into my life that day. Even though we didn't meet until later." "I still remember the first day I ever saw Nyssa. It was December ninth, 2006, at nine fifteen in the morning. She was just about to graduate from the Academy, but I didn't know that yet. My boss Hotch- who would become her boss- had selected our teammate Rossi and I to give a speech to a college class. She was sitting in the third row, fifth seat in on the left side. She was wearing a cheetah print dress, leather jacket, and pink Doc Martens, and she was the prettiest girl I'd ever seen. She actually took my breath away, and broke my concentration for a minute. I wanted so badly to talk to her, but I never got the chance. I didn't think I'd ever see her again, but then I made a decision. It wasn't the most legal thing I've ever done, but I asked Penny to find her cell number. I texted her and apologized for the creepy stalker vibes I was giving off by the unsolicited text. Luckily for me she didn't mind, though, and I asked her out." "We went to dinner at this Thai restaurant that we love, and then we took a walk in a park. She told me she was hopefully going to get a call that she was fast-tracked to the BAU within the next couple weeks. I didn't kiss her that day or expect it to be anything more than a one-time date. I didn't think a girl like her could ever be into someone like me. Shortly after she was hired, we had a case that went bad- I got kidnapped by an unsub, and he tortured me for three days. But my team did eventually find me, digging my own grave. He was planning on killing me, and I hated that I was too scared to tell her that I loved her. But he got distracted and I was able to climb out and grab his gun, and I shot him in self defense. The next thing I knew, this adorable four-foot-nine girl was tackling me. She studied my face for a moment, like she couldn't quite believe I was real. Then she kissed me and told me she never thought she'd see me again. She saw the guy kill me, but didn't see him bring me back. But I loved her four-hundred and twenty-nine days, twelve hours, and sixteen minutes before that. It was her first birthday party, with the team. She was wearing a Tenth Doctor shirt, skinny jeans, and blue Doc Martens. Her drink of choice is Dr. Pepper and Malibu rum because she doesn't like Coke. That was the day I knew I wanted to marry her someday." "Little girl, I promise to love you, every second of every day, for the rest of our lives. However long or short those lives may be. You are my best friend, my twin flame, my soulmate, and my one true love. You are everything I've ever wanted but didn't dare hope for." I took the microphone and set it aside, wrapped my arms around Spencer's neck and stood on tiptoes to kiss him softly. Then I pulled away from the kiss and picked up the mic again. I had to clear my throat and turn away as I composed myself, but then I felt him slip his hand into mine and squeeze it softly. "When I took that seminar it was only because I wanted to be part of the BAU. I knew he was smart of course, his reputation precedes him wherever he goes. But what I wasn't expecting was how unbelievably gorgeous he is. He took my breath away from the moment I saw him, and captivated my attention when he spoke. Of course I wasn't the only girl who thought that, not even close. I heard no less than two dozen girls whispering about how gorgeous he was. I wanted so badly to talk to him that day, but I never got a chance." "I wasn't expecting to see him again until my first day, but then he texted me out of the blue. I was so happy to hear from him again that I didn't even care that he had Penelope track me. I would have given him my number that day if I had had a chance. He looked so handsome, wearing a purple suit and tie with black slacks and shoes. That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship, one that I wasn't keen on jeopardizing. But then he got kidnapped, and I watched him die- or so I thought. When the team walked out of Hankle's house that day, I thought they were going to collect his body. Then Derek told me he was alive, and he had given us a clue on how to find him. I went to the graveyard on his father's land, and I was the first one to see him. As Spencer said, he was digging his own grave, and the blood turned to ice in my veins. I ran toward him, seemingly in slow motion, as that man was holding a gun on him. I was terrified that I wouldn't make it in time, but then he managed to get the gun away from him and shoot him. It was at that moment I knew I didn't want to hide anymore. After coming so close to almost losing my best friend, I knew I had to tell him how I felt. I'm just lucky that my risk paid off, that he didn't reject my kiss, and for some unknown reason he loved me back." "Today I not only gained a husband, but I gained an amazing woman as a mother-in-law. Diana, from the first moment Spencer took me to Las Vegas to introduce me, I felt loved and accepted. Thank you for raising such an amazing, wonderful, and loving man, and rest assured that I will love him and look after him until my final day, unless he sends me away someday." "That could never happen, little girl," Spencer kissed my cheek. "I'm so pleased that my mom and dad could be here today. Dad, I know how difficult it was for you to get time off work with so little prior notice, and for you to be able to give me away today, it means more and is more special than I could ever put into words. Thank you for loving me from the day we met, and accepting me as your daughter so easily, even before I gave you the adoption papers. And mom, you were my protector from the day I was born. You were my first friend, my confidant, and I will always be your Sunshine. I love you." "A special thank you to my matrons and maid of honor. Peyton, my gorgeous sister, I had the pleasure and privilege to stand with you at your wedding. I understand completely your decision to not make me maid of honor. Your blood sister rightly got that honor. I was just proud and thankful that you let me be a bridesmaid. It meant more than I could ever say to have you at my side today. Anna, my best friend for going on fifteen years. I still remember the day you married Jake, and I was so happy for you. You've finally found someone who knows your worth and treats you the way you deserve to be treated- like the queen you are. Penelope, from the first moment that I stepped into the BAU five years ago, you made me feel so welcome, and it didn't take long to feel like I had known you my entire life. You are one of the only people I can talk to about cases, and my feelings after, who completely understands. The only problem with having them up here today was being outshined at my own wedding! Don't they look absolutely stunning right now?" "Another quick shout-out to my best friend Anna. She's really more like a sister to me at this point actually. From the first day we met, when she was the only one who sat down next to me while I was eating school breakfast. Fast forward to senior prom, when she was gracious enough to let me third-wheel with her and her boyfriend at the time. I wouldn't have been able to face going alone, especially when I had just broken up with my ex and he asked my ex-best friend to prom not two weeks later. But you and Isaac kept my mind off of them, and we had an amazing night. You even let me dance with him a few times, and helped me work up the courage to ask the guy I'd been crushing on for a dance. We ended up dating for a while three years later, but that's completely irrelevant. Thank you for being my best friend all these years. My confidant, my rock, the person I can trust with any secret. Thank you also for doing my makeup today, I can't believe you managed to make me look this good. I might need a touch-up after these speeches are done though." "To Derek, Hotch, and Rossi, thank you for letting Spencer survive his bachelor party, and for getting him here on time. That's all that matters to me, you did your job, well done. Rossi, thank you for your generous contributions to today. Not only did this man buy this gorgeous dress that I'm wearing, but he helped my parents pay for some of the wedding. As if that wasn't enough, he also made a donation to our honeymoon fund. Everyone on the team did, actually- we'll be able to go anywhere we want to if we can get time off." "And finally, to my gorgeous, hilarious, selfless, incredibly brave and intelligent husband- damn, I love the way that sounds. Spencer came into my life and turned it upside down in the best way. When I left the lecture hall that day, I didn't think I would ever see him again. I didn't believe I was a good enough agent trainee to get into the BAU. When he texted me to ask me out on our first date, I had to try and hide my excitement, play it off like I was kind of weirded out that he got my number. But inside I was screaming, I couldn't believe that this man, who could get any woman he wanted if he got past his awkwardness, even remembered my name. Let alone took the time and effort to not only ask my professor for my last name, but to have Penelope find my number. I didn't understand how or why someone would go to the lengths that he did just to ask me on a date. I didn't expect our relationship to go further than friendship. I searched inside myself to try and find the words to describe just how much I love this man. But I'm going to try anyway." "Spencer Walter Reid, you are my soulmate. I knew it from the moment we went on our first date we are the perfect fit. They say don't marry the man you can live with, marry the man that you can't live without. For me that man is Spencer. When I watched him die that day, a part of me died, too. If Hankle hadn't brought him back, if we would have been too late when he was making him dig his grave, and he would have shot him and buried him, I would have never recovered. I would have blamed JJ for a while for listening to his idea of splitting up when they realized that he was the man we were looking for. I would have forgiven her eventually- I think. But when he shot Hankle and it was finally over, I knew that I couldn't hide anymore. I knew I had to take a chance and tell him how I felt." "Spence, we are a perfect fit, my world is a better place with you in it. I will love you forever, because you're not just my lover and my soulmate, you are my best friend. We can weather any storm. We were meant to be together forever. Before I met you, I spent a long time looking for something or someone that would make me a great person. You have taught me that I don't need to change for greatness, you love me for who I am, and make me feel special every single day. You make me feel like the most important person.You have taught me that it is not just who I am, but what I do that defines me. Although you stole that one from Batman!" "The reason that our relationship works is that we give each other the freedom to just be ourselves. We share our nerdy obsessions, and I love when you infodump about things. I love how passionate you are about everything, and when you teach me things I didn't know before. I know some people find it annoying, but it's on of my favorite things about you. When I got pregnant with Penny I was so scared I would end up like my mother. Not that there's anything wrong with being a single mother. But I saw how hard it was for her to do it on her own, and I vowed that my children wouldn't grow up without a father. And you were so happy when you found out. You had already read so many books on pregnancy and childbirth, just in case JJ went into labor out in the field. I knew from the moment you first held Henry that you would be the most amazing father someday, and I was right in that assumption. You adore our daughter so much, and she adores you the same way. She's been a daddy's girl from the moment she was born, and had you wrapped around her finger." "Today I don't just feel like a bride, I don't just feel like a wife, I feel complete, and that is because I know I will always have Spencer by my side. So will everyone join me in raising our glasses to toast my husband, the love of my life. To Spencer!" I pass the mic to Peyton as Spencer pulls me into his arms to kiss me, pulling my chair closer so I can lean against his chest as we sit. He wraps his arms around my waist and I place my hands over his, intertwining them as we listen to my sister speak. "Hello everyone. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Peyton, Nyssa's little sister. Although she's four years older than me, I've always been two feet taller, so I call her my little big sister. I want to give a special thank you to my father and Renee. Although she never adopted my brother and I like dad did Nyssa, they have always set an amazing example of lasting love and what it truly means to be married. I took those lessons into my marriage to Michael, and now Nyssa will take them into her marriage to Spencer." "Looking back, you were an amazing big sister to me. I have to admit that I don't think I truly appreciated everything you did for me as a child. Almost every memory I have from the age of seven on has you in it and is wonderful because of it. I remember playing dress up and having 'tea parties' with our next door neighbor. We would start the day picking out outfits in the costume box. Once we had our backstory, we would venture outside, over to her 'manor house.' We would make little cakes in her EasyBake Oven, and have chocolate milk instead of tea. Or you would play Barbies with me, even when you were too old to probably find it fun anymore." "As we got older, Nyssa, you still included me in your life when the last thing a lot of teenagers would do is willingly spend time with their annoying pre-teen sister. You've always made an effort to include me in your life, and as we've gotten older, we've gotten even closer. Beyond spending time with me, you were and still are an amazing example to me. I have always looked up to you and looked to you on the appropriate ways to act, dress, and behave. You have been my role model for years and always will be." "Spencer, I am so happy that you and Nyssa have found each other. I knew you were special from the very beginning. After the seminar that you taught, she called me and went on and on about how gorgeous and intelligent you were. She was beating herself up for not having the courage to approach you and give you her number. I expected her to be furious that you tracked down her number, but she was too excited that you actually took the time and effort to find her and ask her out. After your first date, she couldn't wait to call me and tell me about it. I'm sure she called me the second she closed the door to her apartment. She told me how you stayed at the restaurant for a couple hours, and still walked around the park for another two. She went on and on about how sweet and chivalrous you were, how much you had in common, and how intelligent you were. I knew all of that meant something special was happening." "Nyssa is obviously beautiful and intelligent. However, not a lot of people know how incredibly hilarious she is. When we were kids, I thought that she would have her own sketch comedy show or be on stage because of how she always made us laugh. Spencer, you bring that side out of Nyssa. You allow her to be her true self every day. Nyssa, you have found the perfect compliment to you. You both have so much to offer the world and each other. If everyone could please raise their glasses and join me in congratulating Spencer and Nyssa. May your love be modern enough to survive the times, but old fashioned enough to last forever." As Peyton passes off the microphone to Anna the room is filled with cheers and the clinking of glasses. I grip Spencer's lapels in my hands and pull his lips to mine, feeling him smile into the kiss and cup my cheeks in his hands. Then we finally pull apart but Spencer surprises me by scooping me into his lap. I laugh and wrap an arm around his shoulders as Anna begins her speech, beaming over at us. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm Anna, the second matron of honor. Nyssa and I have been best friends since her sophomore year of high school. I was just a freshman and I didn't know anyone besides people in my grade. When I was in the cafeteria for breakfast one day, I saw this girl sitting alone and reading Twilight. I knew right away that I had to be friends with her, so I sat down across from her and introduced myself. She actually stopped reading and set her book aside to talk to me. For those of you who know Nyssa, you know how big of a deal that is. She won't set aside a good book for just anyone. We started talking, and the rest is history." "We ate breakfast and lunch together for the next three years. We went to prom together and even my ex-boyfriend gave her ex-boyfriend and his date the cold shoulder. She was there when my ex and I broke up and when I met my first husband. She stood by me when I got married, she trashed said first husband when he decided he wanted a divorce. Years later she grilled my then-boyfriend Jake for a good fifteen minutes before deciding he was good enough. She gave him permission to propose to me if and when he wanted to. And three years later he did. She was my maid of honor at our wedding and now I have the honor of doing the same for her." "Nyssa and I know more about each other than we probably care to. We've laughed together, cried together, and have inside jokes that only we find funny. We've been there for each other through some of the hardest times in our lives, and have been grateful to experience some of the best times together too. We've learned how to adult together. I've had the opportunity to watch her grow into the wonderful woman that sits before us today, and I am honored to call her my best friend. She's more like a sister to me than anything else." "Firstly, before I say anything, I have to point out how absolutely stunning Nyssa looks today. She's the most beautiful bride I've ever seen, and Spencer is one very lucky man. I'm sure he agrees, since he hasn't been able to keep his eyes off of you since you first walked down the aisle today. Of course, Spencer is looking very handsome himself. You weren't exaggerating about how beautiful he is." "When Nyssa asked me to be one of her matrons of honor, I knew it meant giving a speech, mainly because I made her do it at mine and she probably wanted payback, but mostly because I knew how much it would mean to her. I have to say I am completely humbled and honored to be part of their special day but most of all to tell you what an amazing couple Nyssa and Spencer are." "Nyssa is driven, intelligent, and kind-hearted. She puts forth effort and dedication into everything she does, and I'm sure she'll approach her new role as wife the same way. Spencer is also driven, intelligent, and kind. Plus, he has this easygoing, laid back personality." "We all know that Nyssa and Spencer are phenomenal individuals. But together, they are unstoppable. They will have the type of marriage everyone hopes for. I know they will be able to ride the waves of life together as friends, as soulmates, and as husband and wife." "For those of you that do know me, you know that I am such a romantic, and am always looking for these signs that somebody is the one. I knew after their first date that Spencer was the one! So fast-forward, of course, I was right, and now they have a beautiful family with an amazing daughter. That little girl is going to grow up surrounded by so much love, and I know she's going to be brilliant. Maybe not genius level brilliant like her dad, but Nyssa is brilliant as well. And who knows, maybe she will be a child prodigy like Spencer is." "I've watched you both become such amazing supports and cheerleaders for each other. You have already weathered some really huge challenges together and I know you'll be up to the challenges and changes that are in your path." "So if everyone will raise a glass with me in a toast to the bride and groom. To Nyssa and Spencer!" Derek takes the mic from the DJ and smiles over at us before beginning to speak. He's always prided himself on being able to control his emotions, but I could see tears shining in his eyes. Spencer presses soft kisses to my shoulder as we listen to his best friend speak. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming out tonight to celebrate the wedding of two people we all love. When I first met Nyssa, I knew she was the woman that Spencer would end up marrying. Even if it hadn't dawned on him quite yet, it was obvious to everyone just how smitten he was with her. They talk about a bride's glow, but this kid was shining from the moment he met Nyssa, and we all could see it. He couldn't stop talking about her. We'd go out with our team after a case, or even just with the boys, and Nyssa's name would be brought up every two minutes. So when they told us that they were together, after we almost lost Pretty Boy over there, we couldn't have been happier for them. And when he called me to tell me he was going to propose my only response was, 'well, it's about time!' There's something special about these two. They go together without forcing it. They love each other without fighting it. And they care about each other, and protect each other, without having to think about it. Of course we all care about and protect each other, but this is different. She was the one from the very beginning, Spencer, and we're all so happy to be able to take part in your big day." "I won't take up much more of your time, I know some of you are anxious to get out on the dance floor. Spencer and Nyssa, we love you. We're so thankful to have you in our lives, and I wish you all the happiness in the world. Cheers!" The DJ took back his mic and called Spencer and I up to the dance floor. My husband stands up and holds out a hand to me, helping me to my feet and leading me to the middle of the floor. He wraps one arm around my waist and takes my hand in his other. After a moment, the 2Cellos cover of the Pirates of the Caribbean theme song comes on. Spencer takes my right hand in his left and wraps his other arm around my waist, and leads me across the floor in an Argentine tango. As the song comes to a close, he dips me low, kissing me as he brings me back up. I don't even notice when other people come up to the dance floor, I'm too lost in Spencer's kiss. But once we finally separated he spun me around the dance floor until the next song was over. Then Henry and Jack come running up to him and begged to see some magic tricks. It's always heartwarming to see how much Spencer adores his godsons and how much they adore him. Hours passed by before the DJ announced that it was time to see Spencer and I off. Our guests made an aisle for us and tossed birdseed as we ran through. I decided on birdseed instead of glitter or confetti because it wouldn't hurt animals if they ate it. Once we made it into the limo, we laughed and shook the birdseed out of our hair. We helped each other brush it off of our clothes as we drove through downtown D.C. I looked over at my husband with an awestruck look on my face. He glanced over and shot me a small smirk. "Why are you looking at me like that?" "No reason, you're beautiful is all. I can't believe we're married." "Well, believe it. We're married," Spencer scooped me onto his lap. "Come here, little girl." "I love you so much, Spencer Reid," I kiss him slowly. "I love you too, Mrs. Reid," he replied. "Say it again," I nipped his bottom lip. "Mrs. Reid, Mrs. Reid, Mrs. Reid," he kissed my shoulder, neck and lips. "My beautiful wife. I adore you, Nyssa." "I adore you, Spencer."


End file.
